Regret
by theramenfreak
Summary: Winry comforts Edward / oneshot with Ed x Win ... kind of.


A tentative voice woke Al from his reprieve. He had been pouring over alchemy book after alchemy book. He knew that if he had his body, he would've needed to stop and eat something multiple times since he sat down, or he would've needed to sleep at least twice. However, it wasn't until Winry's voice quietly called him from the half-open door, that he finally looked up.

Her hair was glowing in the soft, orange light of afternoon and the room was soaked in red and yellow rays cast from the disappearing sun. One hand clutched the door so tightly that he could see her knuckles were white and her eyes had a worried look in them.

"Al?"

"Mmm? What is it, Winry?"

She hesitated in the door frame before silently sliding all the way into the small, almost empty room, "Have you seen Ed?"

Al looked around as thought expecting the youth to jump from behind a bookcase or something. When he was disappointed, he replied, "I haven't seen him since lunch time…"

Winry said nothing for a moment, then, "Oh…okay. Thanks Al…See you later…"

She was making her way out, when Al called her back.

"Umm, Winry? I think I know where he might be…"

* * *

Edward slowly opened his eyes as he felt a beam of sunlight warm his slowly cooling body. The rays of the afternoon sun were slowly sinking behind the large hill, casting long shadows across the many graves spread out in front of him.

He was standing, fists clenched, in front of Trisha Elric's subtle grave. It wasn't as flashy as some of the marble angle statues, but he was glad that Pinako had at least supplied a tombstone. It was this slab of concrete that blurred in front of his eyes as he gazed unseeingly at the engraved name. His head was filled with memories from a happier time.

Finally, as the terrified face of Alphonse disappearing into the gate occupied his mind, he slowly sunk to his knees. His hands were shoulder width apart, and for a minute he half expected a transmutation circle to appear and some magical wonder to spring from the earth.

Instead, a different kind of wonder seemed to appear.

A soft hand gently touched his shoulder and he immediately recognised it as Winry's.

He sniffed in greeting, too nervous to speak in case he lost control of the tears welling up.

"Are you alright?"

He just nodded.

There was a comfortable silence for a while, then, "Al said you'd probably be here"

Edward said nothing, still.

"I came to tell you that dinner's ready. It's soup tonight, by the way," Winry smiled, "Just like old times"

Edward smiled sadly.

"Yeah. Old times…"

"Hm. I should be getting back," She rose and began to walk home, leaving Edward kneeling at his mother's grave. She was at the gate of the cemetery, when she heard the scuffing of feet behind her.

"Jeez, Winry, how fast do you walk?"

She smiled at Edward's mock frustrated tone and stopped so that he could catch up. Then slowly, they made their way home.

There was more silence during the walk, until Edward broke it.

"Hey…Winry?"

"Mm?"

"Do you; um…do you ever wish things had...turned out differently?"

Winry looked sideways at his downcast, golden eyes, and smiled wistfully. '_So that's what he was thinking about…_' She thought, "No"

"No?"

"No, I don't"

Edward was looking at her strangely.

"You don't?"

"No, because if they hadn't…Don't get me wrong, I loved my parents and I'd give anything to have them back, but…If things had been different, I wouldn't have grown so close to you and Al. You two…well, you've helped me a lot…"

"But…But if things had been different, you wouldn't have needed helping! See? That's what-"

"I wouldn't need helping?" Winry asked incredulously, "That's not what I was talking about. I meant I wouldn't change things because it would've meant that I wouldn't have realised that I love-" Winry stopped talking abruptly.

It seemed Edward hadn't noticed that she had almost accidentally admitted her feelings to him. He was lost in thought about the past again.

Winry sighed internally. '_I guess I'll just have to help him through it…_' She thought sadly.

It didn't look like Edward was completely sure about what she had said and his brow was furrowed as he tried to see things from her perspective.

"C'mon, slow poke- we're gonna be late for dinner," She taunted as she grabbed his non-auto mail hand and started walking briskly up the hill. Even at this causal touch his skin seemed to burn her skin and she resisted the urge to shiver. Edward grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like _'not slow…or small…_' but he smiled, at least.

'_I guess it might not be as hard as I imagined,_' she thought, '_helping him overcome this regret…_'

* * *

_**A/N: **Ahoy, it's me again. So this is a kind of random idea that came to me this arvo so soz for any broing or confusinf parts. Not my best Hurt/Comfort story thing...obviously. Anyway, enjoy and review :)_


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